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Expand sales — and the bride’s vision — with exquisite paper extras, favors and gifts

F or many brides, every element — from the first engagement announcement addressed to the last favor pocketed by departing guests — is a single note in a wedding symphony. That’s an ideal framework for building each sale with chic components that personalize and memorialize the event.

For most stationers, these “notes” include add-ons to the stationery wardrobe, guest favors and wedding party gifts. These details have become more important recently as both brides and grooms have become more design-savvy, emphasized Blake Elizabeth Hanick, owner and creative director, Lilywillow Paper & Press.

“Thanks to companies like Target, Anthropologie and Pottery Barn, which emphasize high design, couples want to reflect their personal design style throughout their first major event,” she commented. “Additionally, with words like ‘identity’ and ‘branding’ widely used, couples are literally branding their weddings with consistent color and pattern usage.”

Paper Components
Helping set the event’s tone, a huge category of stationery is tailored to the period between engagement and nuptials. While the needs of individual couples vary as much as the weddings themselves, many pieces are currently enjoying the spotlight.

Rachelle Schwartz, co-owner of Wiley Valentine, does a lot of weekend details cards as well as decorative maps. “More brides are making a weekend of their event, and the weekend details card gives their guests an itinerary. The map card is a good place to add travel details, and adds a beautiful, interesting component.”

Indeed, whether a map makes up a save-the-date, napkin or even invitation, it is this editor’s bet as the next gotta-have bridal stationery component. Just witness Stephannie Barba, a freelance illustrator and owner and creative director of Couture Maps. Due to a full production schedule, she’s not accepting new orders until next May.

Maps are both versatile and personal, she emphasized. “(They) act not only as a guide, but give a glimpse of the bride and groom as a couple — their favorite places, where they met — as well as the locations of their various celebrations.”

Meanwhile, Lilywillow is introducing “For The Table” coordinates of pre-printed table numbers, fill-in place cards and menus; the menus will be desktop printer-compatible. Also in the works: pre-printed program shells for use with a desktop printer. “We have more calls for programs than any other inquiry,” Hanick observed. “Since programs tend to be one of the last things done, making this process easy seems like a good idea.”

To address what a bride needs, Schwartz recommended, “seeing what pieces might be necessary to create a seamless experience for guests. If there’s a time lag between the ceremony and reception, or a shuttle takes guests from the ceremony to the reception, these are necessary things to include.”

Favors and Gifts
Favors get more attention from today’s brides than they did a decade ago, so it’s a huge mistake to overlook them, according to Jennifer Fallon, founder and CEO of The Aspen Brands Company. “Wedding favors should be treated with the same respect given to the gown, rings, flowers and china. We’ve found the biggest mistake retailers make is dismissing this category altogether, forgetting that the average favor purchase yields 150 favors.”

The best favors combine fashion and function. “Gone are hackneyed items like bubbles and organza bags,” added Austin Moore, sales manager, Event Blossom. “Today’s bride wants something unique and, most importantly, useful.”

Favors also enable brides to display their eco-chic streaks, pointed out Meg Hodson, owner and designer, Wedding Belle Favors. “Favors that are ‘from the earth,’ biodegradable or renewable are stylish. Our plantable seed favors sell well, and for beach favors, our Coconut Candles are 100 percent biodegradable, made of soy wax, cotton wicks and coconut shell.”

Wedding party gifts, meanwhile, tend to sell at higher price-points and in smaller quantities. “Most brides want something their bridesmaids will love and use over and over again,” noted Bonnie Marcus, president of the Bonnie Marcus Collection, who introduced her bridal gift collection due to requests from brides. “Popular gifts are earrings or necklaces, a special handbag or shawl coordinating with the bridesmaid dresses, or even flip-flops to comfortably dance the night away.”

Points for Presentation
With so many paper components to consider, they must be presented in an easy-to-understand manner. “Bridal couples can’t buy what they can’t see,” Hanick emphasized. “Creating an area to display an entire stationery collection serves two purposes. One, you have a ‘classroom’ to demonstrate stationery components that may have been unknown to the bridal couple, and two, they can visually imagine how their own design may work from start to finish.”

But a wonderful display is only part of it. A knowledgeable, personal approach will prevent you from boring brides by showing them every binder in the store, Hanick stated. “When I work with bridal clients, I have them explain what type of event they hope to create, what style they hope to achieve and what mood they’d like to set. (I) find a way to translate what they’re saying into a complete stationery package, explaining how each component can reinforce their theme and overall feeling.”

Meanwhile, favors present their own challenges, Hodson said. “If you showcase too many, they tend to lose their appeal and impact. Favors definitely display and sell better en masse, clustered on tiered shelves and cake stands.”

Presentation is everything when it comes to gifts, too, Marcus commented. Since she has a paper line, she recommends her gifts be cross-merchandised beside it. Schwartz also noted that regardless of what the product is, “It’s great to include any press that particular item may have received, maybe framed nearby.”

Finally, wedding spending is not slowing down, Marcus stated. “We’ve been surprised to learn that this economy has not affected the high-end bridal market. Beautifully made product is still selling, and selling well.”